They view Kerala with a local and global vision. The picture they weave is of contrasting colours, imagery and cultural sensibilities. German artist Wilhelm Bronner’s work is a microcosm of life on the streets of over-crowded cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi. In November, 2012, he had held an exhibition at Fort Kochi. Following the conclusion, he had several wooden frames which he wanted to give away before flying back. That was how he met local painter A M Victoria.
They became friends and decided to hold an exhibition together. ‘East Meets West’, the exhibition took place recently at Kochi’s Durbar Hall Art Gallery. Victoria’s work focuses on the scarcity of drinking water, Indian village life, the drawbacks of the educational system and shell portraits of the local people. In Wilhelm’s striking work, there are car drivers dodging cyclists and vegetable vendors with their wooden carts filled with produce. Cows and dogs are wandering about, people in doorways are shouting and talking to each other, a man is sitting on a chair and reading the newspaper, while a woman walks carefully with a basket on her head. High above, aeroplanes are flying across the sky. “I wanted to show the variety of life in an Indian city,” says Wilhelm.
“It is also clear that the country is grappling with the problems caused by over-population.” Wilhelm’s other notable work is a series of small wooden blocks which have been painted in grey acrylic paint. On each block, at the left side are small drawings, like squiggles, of life in India and on the right, the same event is taking place in Germany.
A man is shown defecating into a pond in India, while in Germany, they use the toilet. Another work, ‘Conflict Management’ shows a group of Indians nodding their heads, while there is verbal anger displayed by the Germans. “Indians tend to avoid conflict,” says Wilhelm. “They will not say anything direct. In Germany, they tell it straight. Sometimes, it is a form of aggression.” Wilhelm, who has been to India several times, says that both countries can learn from each other. “The Germans can learn about touching, caring and living through the heart from the Indians,” he says. “On the other hand, Indians can understand about organisation, punctuality and hygiene.” It pains Wilhelm that India is so uncared for. “Why is garbage thrown on the streets, fields and rivers? It makes me feel sad.”
Victoria is also saddened by the state of Kerala. In one acrylic on canvas, she has drawn several women, as well as men, carrying brown pitchers on their heads. At the side, there is a tap from which a single drop of water is falling into a pitcher. Another work shows two girls sitting on a patch of grass beside a jasmine tree. They are dressed in the traditional attire, paavada (skirt) and blouse, with long plaited hair, and kohl-rimmed eyes. It is a soothing image, but Victoria is worried about their future. “When the girls get married what sort of a life is it going to be?” says Victoria. “Will they get good husbands? Will they look after their wives properly?
Will the girls be happy?”
